Stepsister Two
by GhastlyInnocence
Summary: Wind whispered by my ears, chanting long forgotten words into oblivion. Chapter FOUR is now up!
1. I

      _Author's Note: For those of you who may be wondering, this is not the second part to a story._

_ It's my version of Cinderella from the point of view of the youngest stepsister. It is not my goal to make you feel sorry for her. Who you feel sorry for in this story is up to you._

_ So, let me know what you think if you want and enjoy._

_ Ghastly Innocence_

                                                  Stepsister Two

                                                            I

   I hated her! And I hated her father!

   I closed my eyes, my jaw hurt; I had kept my mouth firmly shut for much of the three-week trip. And the frown that seemed to be taking up permanent residence on my face was growing tiresome. 

  I looked at my mother; her face was calm, almost pleased. _I hate her too!_ I thought bitterly. She had betrayed my dead father by marrying a complete stranger! Now, my mother, sister and I were a part of this _man_ and his daughter's lives.

   I looked through half closed eyes at the man sitting next to my mother. What did she see in him? He wasn't half as handsome as my father was! How could she have fallen in love with a man that had a nose like that?  Sighing, I rubbed my own nose. I shuddered as he bent and whispered into my mother's ear, something my own father had done a hundred times.

   Glancing at my older sister, I wondered if any of this bothered her. She had been thrilled when my mother told us she was wedding the stranger that had so rudely walked into our lives one very long month ago.

   He wasn't unkind, in fact, besides my father; he was one of the nicest men I had ever met. Tears stung the back of my eyes, when would the tears go? When would the pain of seeing my mother with another man leave me alone? 

   I closed my eyes, feigning sleep; I did _not_ want to watch the man and my mother any longer.

   Wind whispered by my ears, chanting long forgotten words into oblivion. My eyes ached and bewilderment ensued.

   Why was the air so thick? I breathed through my mouth, wondering where everyone had gone. The fire in front of me had long turned into smothered ashes. Three weeks on the road and not once had one of our fires been allowed to turn into ashes before we wished. Had I been left behind by some chance?

   Sweat trickled down my back. I stood to my feet. The air had taken on a certain feeling that set my nerves on edge.  I picked up the gray blanket I had been lying on and shook the dirt out of it.

   What was I to do? Should I start traveling down the road and hope to catch up with them? Or should I stay and hope they would come after me? After all, they might just be in the woods relieving themselves. I resisted the urge to call out their names; looking at the dead fire, I knew that something was terribly wrong. Panic began to rise in my chest, making it even more difficult for me to breathe.

   I screamed as a large, shadowed figure stumbled out of the woods.

   My eyes snapped open, air hissed in my throat as my mother's new husband stood bent over me, his large hand on my shoulder. I stared at him, resentment bright in my eyes.

   "We're home," he said, his voice rumbling gently in his throat. Home? His home. I straightened, not bothering to say anything. He smiled at me and stepped out of the carriage, looking around, I noticed my mother and sister had all ready gotten out.

   Running scarred fingers through my travel weary hair, I looked out the carriage door, almost dreading what I might see next. My breath caught in my throat, before me stood a two story, stone house, due drops dripping from its eaves.

   "You like it?" My _stepfather_ asked. I ignored him, catching a warning glance my mother shot at me. I knew what she would say, had we been alone. We were no longer in our own house but in _his_, I was to respect him like I had my own father. How was I to respect the man that stole _my_ mother from _my_ father?

   Suddenly I wanted to cry, all of this was happening _too _soon! I wanted things to go back to the way they had been; I wanted my father! The urge to cry was so large I could hardly hold it in. My feelings must have been written all over my face, because my stepfather suddenly began ushering all of us inside.

   "Oh Robert!" My mother breathed, "It's so beautiful!" I winced at her words. She had been content where we had lived with my father! We did _not_ need this extravagant house to be happy!

   We all looked up as a girl's voice was heard from across the driveway. "Papa!" She squealed, running into his arms, letting him sweep her off her feet and spin her around. I winced. "Oh," She said, looking at us, with our plain clothes, curiously. "I didn't know you were bringing back company."

   My eyebrows shot up in surprise. He hadn't told her? Had he not even written her a letter to let her know he was bringing home a new wife and her two daughters?

   Robert, my stepfather ran darkly tanned fingers through blond hair, he was so different from my father. He grinned; looking a little uncomfortable at the situation he was finding himself in. "Yes, I've been meaning to write you Tiffany," He paused, was that sweat forming above his lip? He flashed his daughter another smile. "Meet my wife."

   Tiffany's innocent blue eyes widened in horror, had it not been such a painful situation her expressions might have been funny. My mother shifted uncomfortably next to Robert, I knew she wanted to wrap her thin arms around his larger, stronger arm, but she resisted, knowing that it would hurt Tiffany.

   Why couldn't Robert be considerate to our feelings as my mother was to his daughter's?

   Robert tried to laugh lightly, I could hear the strain in his voice, "Yes, and these are her daughter's, Darlene," He waved a hand at me, "And Anna Beth," He gestured to my older sister.  Anna Beth and I looked at her, not knowing what else to do.

   She looked at her father accusingly, as if to say 'how could you do this?' I felt much the same way.

   Robert bent low and whispered into one of Tiffany's tiny ears, his rough hair, mingling with her silky blond curls. She stepped back, a hurt expression on her face. She looked one last time at my mother, sister and I before gracefully walking into the house.

   "Shall we get you ladies settled?" Robert asked; clapping his hands together, his grin wider than it probably should have been.


	2. II

                                                       Stepsister Two

                                                                 II

   As I screamed my voice died in my throat, killing any hope I might have had of someone hearing me.

   The shadowed figure stepped closer, its breath wheezing in its throat, "You," It said, extending what looked to be a gnarled hand with sharp claws on its knuckles, giving it the appearance of having ten fingers on each hand. "The breath that humans breath belongs to me," It breathed stepping closer, the shadow around it never leaving.

   I stood, breathing heavily, not knowing what else to do. I could never take on this creature, I wasn't strong enough. _You could do something else, if only you were not afraid of yourself. _A small voice whispered in my head. "No," I whimpered, more to the unwanted voice in my head than the oncoming shadow.

   "I shall suck the life out of your kind." It said, pausing in its strides, as if savoring every word it spoke. _"And once again I shall be king!" _It hissed lunging at me.

   My eyes widened as my father's voice ripped through the air, "No!" He screamed, wrapping two strong arms around the creature's neck, "You shall not have her! If it takes the last of my breath to protect her from you, it shall be done!" I stared at my father's agile form, knowing I should do something, anything!

   The creature turned, my father clinging to its neck with all the strength he had in his body, one word escaped from his mouth as the shadow creature flung him to the ground, "Run!"

   I sat up in bed; tears and sweat streaming down my face, and the foreboding thought that always invaded my mind ringing bright and clear. The truth was; I could have done something to prevent my father's death. The truth was, I never even bothered to try.

   I stuck my fist in my mouth, breathing heavily. I hated myself.

   Slipping my feet into the warm slippers Robert had given me, along with a lavish bedroom, I ran to the closed window, pushed on the closed latch, opened it and stuck my head out, breathing in the fresh, country air.

   I supposed that was the one thing I liked most about Robert's home. It was set far out in the countryside, where one could breath without too many people asking too many questions. Sadly, news spread no matter where you were or how far you ran.

   Suddenly I had to be outside, the walls of my room seemed to be suffocating me, and I didn't want to be alone with my thoughts. At least outside there were things that lived, even if they were only plants and animals.

   Remembering that Robert had mentioned he had a private and a kitchen garden, I donned a warm woolen dress and left the room.

   "'Ey you!" Someone shouted at me, from across Robert's large garden, "what be ye doin' 'ere?" I closed my eyes. I had been here barely two days and all ready I was in trouble with someone.

   "No one told me the gardens were off limits," I said, opening my eyes to a bedraggled gardener.

   "Oh," The gardener said, tufts of white hair sticking out from beneath a gray cap, "Ye be one o' Rob's new daughters." I winced, he wasn't my father and I certainly was not _his_ daughter. I said nothing. "I thought ye be someone else."

I nodded my head in sympathy, "It's quite all right," I murmured. I found myself trying to give the old man a reassuring smile, failing terribly.

   "I be Zechariahs the Gard'ner" he held out a gnarled hand for me to shake. My mouth turned up in its first real smile, in over two months, at hearing his name.

   I took his hand and shook it, "I'm Darlene." 

   "Well, hello Darlene. Welcome to our 'umble 'ome." Humble? I looked at the tall building, with its gray menacing stones. It was anything _but_ humble.

   I smiled again, forgetting that I should not be smiling in such a situation as mine, "Thank you." Was I actually beginning to enjoy this man's company? Was I actually beginning to think things really weren't as bad as they seemed? I sighed.

   "Ye be missin' your fader." I looked at him; it had not been a question; but a statement. "Yes," I said with a short nod.

"Don' a be worryin', ye 'ill never forget 'im but da pain 'ill leave in good time." I stared. How would he know what I was feeling? How could the pain ever leave me? "I know, 'cause I lost me own dear Pap when I be yer age."  He said softly.

   Was the man a mind reader? "Thank you," I said quietly, wrapping my arms around my middle, I walked away, lost to my thoughts.

   "You could have told me before bringing them into _our_ home!" I heard Tiffany's voice ring clear in the crisp morning air, from somewhere in the garden, "Papa, they're from the barren lands!" She lowered her voice so that I had to strain to hear her next words, "Rebecca Darling, from town, says that the people there are cannibals!" I put a hand over my mouth, trying to muffle a laugh that had slipped out. _Who is this Rebecca Darling, she might be fun to meet._ I thought wickedly before I could stop myself. I frowned suddenly, remembering that I didn't deserve to be happy.

   "Tiffany," I heard Robert's voice take on a stern tone I had never heard him use before, "They needed a home and I love Bethany," He said mentioning my mother's name. "And I don't know where Rebecca Darling gets her information but I do believe someone has been lying to her." A laugh crept into his gravely voice.

   Instead of walking in the other direction like I should have, I crept closer, wondering what Robert would say next. "You're right," He said sighing. "I should have told you about them, I'm sorry that I didn't. Please promise that you will try to get to know them before you judge them," Robert paused, through the leafy branches of a bush I saw his face wreathed with care for my family.

   I didn't stay to hear more, I turned running back in the direction of the house, tears blinding my eyes. Why did he have to love _her_? Why my mother? Why not another woman? 

   Blinking rapidly, I stumbled on the stone covered path and fell, my hands and knees pressed into the little white stones. A small cry of dismay caught in my throat as I pulled myself to my feet and stormed into the house, longing to lock myself away somewhere and never come out.


	3. III

Stepsister Two

III

Anna Beth, Tiffany and I stood next to each other in front of a three-story house.

"A woman by the name of Tibby Williams lives here." Tiffany informed us; in a no no-nonsense tone, she had begun to use around us shortly after we arrived. "Papa has her tailor his suits and sometimes other things for him." She pulled on a bell that was connected to a slim cord next to the door and waited for it to be answered.

Anna Beth and I glanced at each other, nervous over our first time in the seemingly busy town. When our father had been alive, we usually stayed home to tend to the animals and crops while our father or mother went into town to sell whatever goods we had to offer. Rarely did we ever go to town.

We both hoped that this Tibby Williams didn't give us the same dirty looks everyone else gave us when they found out who we were. Anna Beth and I might as well not have even been there, for us much as they looked our way!

Two brown-headed children, who greeted us with huge, almost toothless grins, opened the door, Tiffany bent low so she was eye level with them, "Is your Mummy home?" She asked; her voice was the kindest I had ever heard it.

"Mummy be in de back room," The youngest, a little boy of five, said pulling on Tiffany's delicate hand.

The second child, a girl of nine stood next to the door, leaving it half open. She stared at us, her eyes wide and unblinking.

Anna Beth smiled kindly, "Hello, my name is Anna Beth. What's yours?" The girl continued to stare through muddy brown eyes. "That's a pretty dress; did your mummy make it?" The girl nodded, brown curls dancing over small shoulders.

A woman, with the same brown hair as the children walked to the door and looked at us, Anna Beth straightened, offering the woman a smile. "Annabel," She spoke softly to the little girl, "Go on in and find your brother."

Anna Beth's shoulders sagged; the woman was having the same reaction most everyone else had. It didn't bother me much, most people treated me strangely all of the time anyway, but they had always liked Anna Beth. I looked at the woman, almost daring her to say the thoughts that were no doubt crossing her mind.

"So, you be Tiffany's new sisters," She said, her voice grating, as if she hardly ever used it.

Anna Beth nodded miserably, my mouth turned down in an even deeper frown. A week ago, when I heard that people around here thought anyone from the Barren Lands were cannibals, it had been laughable, now it was just plain annoying.

"Every one around here be thinkin' your cannibals, don't they." We both nodded our heads hesitantly.

She began to laugh uproariously, "The people around here don't be havin' enough sense in their heads to put two intelligent thoughts together at the same time!" She wiped tears from her eyes, "Come in girls," She said wrapping a long arm around each of our shoulders. "It's been a long time since I've seen someone from my own native land. You both do wonders for my aching eyes."

Tibby Williams led us into her dim, town house, giving us a history lesson on her life as she maneuvered her way through the narrow hallway, "I met my husband when I was very young, and a handsome fellow he was." She paused in blissful remembrance; she shook her head leading us to the back room where she did all her work.

Anna Beth and I looked at her hungrily; it was awful being away from your own people and Tibby Williams was the closest we would probably get for a very long time.

She laughed, "I remember when people used to think I was a cannibal. I milked it for all it was worth! Finally my husband had to have a talk with me and set all of our dear neighbors straight."

I grinned; finally, someone who knew what Anna Beth and I were going through with the town people! Just knowing someone like Tibby Williams lived in this cold country took a weight off my back I hadn't realized was there.

An hour later, Tiffany, Anna Beth and I left the comfortable home of Tibby Williams to finish running our errands.

That night I lie in my bed, staring up into the darkness of my room. It was surprising how quickly I had accepted it as my own room, I didn't think of the house as belonging to me. That belonged to Robert, but so did this bedroom and the clothes I wore. Yet, the bedroom seemed like it was mine, almost as if it had been made for me.

I rolled over, sniffing, I wiped away a tear; I thought I had gotten over this!

Kicking a pile of light blankets off of me, I rolled off the bed and lit a candle that sat on my nightstand and walked to the large, walk in closet on the other side of the room. I stepped in, setting the candle on the floor.

I pushed a lock of dark hair out of my face and pulled out a tiny wood box from inside a pair of travel worn boots, my head ached suddenly, remembering one of the last times I had worn them.

'Run!' I jumped at the memory of my father's voice, screaming inside my head. The memory was so fresh I could see the image of my father and hear his shout for me to run as clearly as if it was happening right that second.

I gulped, opening the box with shaking fingers; I pulled out a necklace made of cheap silver. The last gift my father had ever given me, it wasn't worth the money my father paid for it, but to me, it was worth more than any expensive trinket.

With a silent sob, I placed it around my neck, tears streaming down my face. I would never forgive myself for my father's death. Never!

"Run," The scream of my father chased after me, "Run!"

And I did, I ran, sobbing so hard that everything before me was a blur of tears. All I knew was that I was moving further and further away from my father's screams and the dark creature that was killing him.

Finally, I stopped unable to lift a hand to even drag myself any further, the tears were gone, as was my strength and my father. But I was still there, barely breathing and wishing that I were dead.

"Papa," I mouthed, unable to get my voice to work, "Papa."

My eyes snapped open; I lifted my head and rubbed a hand over my stiff neck. I looked around my dark surroundings, I had fallen asleep on the closet floor and my candle had burned to nothing but a white puddle of hard wax on the floor.

With a grunt, I stood to my feet, after placing the tiny box back in the boot; I carefully put the boot back in its place.

I stifled a scream as something pulled on the front of my nightgown and the closet door shut, locking me in darkness.

Author's Note: I was going to do this in my bio but quickly decided that it was not going to work.

So, I would like to thank anyone who has taken the time to read the story and I would like to thank Nayia.Lyons for reviewing the first chapter. It really meant a lot to me.

Ghastly


	4. IV

                                                         Stepsister Two

                                                                  IV

   With wide eyes, I watched in horror as my feet began to move against my will. It was if I was outside and looking in at myself through a window, being pulled forward by an invisible hand.

   A half sob escaped my throat as I tried to pull away from whatever it was that had a hold of my nightgown. "No!" I gasped, thinking of the creature that had killed my father. Had it found me? _No,_ I thought firmly, it couldn't be the creature! How could it know where I was?

My surroundings began to spin, and suddenly the floor seemed to disappear from beneath my feet and it felt as if I fell into a deep, dark hole. _What is happening to me?_ My mind screamed, spinning.

   A terrible ache filled my head, and blinding light shot through my eyes. I opened my mouth and screamed silently, tightly shutting my eyes, trying to escape from the burning light that found it's way behind my eyes.

   "Look at me," I moaned as the most beautiful voice I had ever heard spoke to me. "Look at me," the voice spoke again.

   I opened my mouth and tried to speak, but nothing came.

   "Child," the voice spoke, a fiery hand reached out and held my chin in place, "Open your eyes."

   I cautiously opened my eyes and looked into the face of a dark haired woman, her skin was of the palest complexion and her eyes were a dark blue that seemed to be as deep as the sea.

   I gasped, hardly able to breathe, "What do you want with me?" I asked, my voice breaking. I fell to my knees and my hands touched a floor, it wasn't my closet floor, but one made of a black and white marble that seemed to swirl like clouds on a stormy afternoon. 

   The woman knelt beside me and lifted my face to her, placing her white hand beneath my chin once more; she brushed my hair from my forehead and smiled. "It is alright, I am not going to harm you."

   Tiffany frowned, why had her father seen fit to bring home a strange woman and her two daughters? They had been fine without those two dimwitted girls inhabiting the bedrooms upstairs. She flinched at the thought of her father sharing a bed with the barbaric woman he now called his wife! He couldn't really be in love with her, could he?

   With a heavy sigh, Tiffany threw herself onto her bed and stared at the white ceiling. Why did life have to be so hard? Why couldn't things have continued to go one as they had?  She rolled over onto her stomach and watched a bird fly by outside her window, "It's too bad I can't just fly away and escape all these changes."

   The hall clock struck the hour, demanding that Tiffany pay attention to it. "Lovely, time for breakfast with the steps." She quickly fastened the back of her dress and left the room, unaware that she was being watched.

   "You want me to watch over that wretch?" I asked; I couldn't believe it!

   I had met a fairy for the very first time in my life and what did she want me to do? She wanted me to watch over my snooty stepsister! I glared at the unearthly looking woman that stood next to me and folded my arms over my chest, "No." I had always heard that you shouldn't get involved with fairies, now I believed it!

   The fairy's lips turned down in a frown for the very first time since she had summonsed me, "Listen here, Darlene, we fairies have ways of making you mortals obey our every command," I flinched, "I am not like that, I am simply asking that you make sure nothing happens to her."

   "Why is she so important anyway?" I asked, my voice becoming shrill, "Why should you care what happens to her?" I narrowed my eyes at her, "Rumor has it that fairies don't get involved with us mortals unless they want something."

"If you do this for me I can make the dreams stop."

"I despise you." I muttered, lowering my head.

   The fairy touched my face with a gentle hand, her touch still burned but it was almost comforting now, it made me want to sit down and cry to the end of the world. In the back of my mind, I saw an image of my father running at the creature, doing everything he could to save me.  

   This had to stop; I couldn't go on thinking of my father this way. I was not sleeping, I was falling a part! "I'll do it," I whispered, "If you can make the dreams stop, I'll do it."

   Miles away, a young man sat upon a dark horse, taking in his surroundings, his mouth set in a grim line.

   "Why so tense, my dear, royal friend? " A dark skinned man asked, from the horse next to his.

   "I feel as if I am going to my doom, Darin." The young man said, never taking his eyes off the road ahead of him. "My parents will surely want to find a life mate for me as soon as I walk through the golden doors to their throne room."

   "That is probably true." Darin said, looking up at the sky, "I truly am glad that you are the prince."

   The prince gave his friend a sidelong glance, "What, you don't want marry and get a pretty wife to hang on your arm and a thousand children to run around your feet

   Darin looked over at his friend, "Sean, don't take marriage lightly."

   Sean laughed, "Always so serious Darin!" Darin glared at him, "You need to learn how to learn how to take things a little less serious."

   Darin shook his head, a hidden smile on his face. "Alright, I'll strike a bargain with you, Prince Sean."

   "I'm listening,"

   Darin grinned, "if you can learn how to take things a little more seriously, I'll learn how to take some things a little less seriously."

   "Some bargain," Sean said with a chuckle.

   Darin cleared his throat, "Marriage is a life long commitment, prince. Do not let your parents make that decision for you. If you fall in love with someone, prince, and it's more than just an attraction, marry the girl." 

   Sean returned to staring at the road before him, "I'll think about what you've said Darin, but I won't make any promises, love and marriage for a royal is a very complicated thing."

Author's Note: Sorry that this update took so long to get up. I went away for a few weeks and I've been trying to get back into the normal flow of things.

I'd like to thank the following people for reviewing.

Kt: Naner naner naner! No, just kidding, sorry about leaving you hanging there . . . it just happened.

Nathan-NewStar: Hey, thanks for actually taking the time to leave a review.

Aerinha: Hope you liked this chapter too. Thanks for reviewing.

Wolfe the pink haired Fairy: Hey! Glad to see you found the story. Thanks very much for leaving a review.  


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